Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-01-20
BecCnd Biennial Message Of Gov
ernOr Martin to the Kansas
Legislature.
The Marvellous Progress of the State
A Splendid Financial Showing
Bond Voting Mania.
A Warning as to the Centralizing Infu-
ence of Corporations Sensible
Suggestions.

intelligent and progressive State for q secont
term, is distinguished honor. And trust i
rs not inappropriate forqnc to express TO the PEG
pie of Kansas through you. their chosen repre-
sentatives, my grateful appreciation OF thei
generous confidence, my profound sense of th
responsibilities devolved upon me, and N.
earnest hope that may, by an honest, faithful
and conscientious performance of my oftcia
duties, in some measure Justify the faith the!
have reposed in me.
The growth of Kansas, during the past tive
years has been extraordinary. The census o
March /, 1884, gave the State n population o
L I:5,G14; that of March 1, 1886, showed an i'll
crease TO lr1G6,733; and our population now ex
1recds 100000. Since the first of January, 1885
fifteen new counties have been organized These
counties had at the date of their organization
an aggregate population. of 1851, and they
pooled 1T the November election, three not
Voting,) total of Ii fO6 votes. They include .
territorial area of II, 3J5 square miles. Only two
Of the hundred counties of the State, o5n
bracing of 800 square miles, remain
TO be organized.
During the same period, two cities, Wichita
and kansas City have been organized as cities
OF the first class. and thirteen Cherryvale Abb
lene, Eureka, Minneapolis. Anthony, El Dorado,
Seneca. Weir. Great Bend Dodge City Larned,
Hutchinson and South Topeka as cities OF the
OSecond class.
Two years ago the railway mileage of Kansas
aggregated only 4,4S6H miles, assessed at &25,-
Soo,%1 So, and traversing scvcnty-three counties
or The State. To-day Kansas has $3.50 miles OF
completed railway, the assessed value of which
Is fuzzy SS9OOO,OOO. These lines traverse eighty
six OF our one hundred counties.
In 1884 the assessed value OF all the property
Of the State was 1921 O20, 391; for 1886 it was
f277 575, 353. We had, then, 1901 1913 acres in
cultivation; last year we had is, 4y3. 4S5 acres.
These figures indicate tho constant growth OF
the State. They illustrate, also, not only the
s@--h our own citizens have in the future of Kan
sas, but the confidence the people OF other States
md countries feel in its substantial and contin-
nous development. The influx OF foreign capital
and enterprise has, indeed. surpassed that Of
any other period in the States history. The
railroad building of the past year has been phe-
nomenal, far exceeding that accomplished dur
ing any opreYious season. The growth of our
xi1ies and towns, also has been uncxampled in
she history Of any State; and the rapid, steady
and ia some instances, extravagant increase il
property values, is remarkable.
You gentlemen of the Legislature, arc assem-
7bled 10 make laws for this great State. In your
HANDS, also rests all authority to levy taxes and
direct the expenditure of the public revenues
In large measure therefore the honor and vel
fasI OF the commonwealth and the prosperity
.fAnd happiness of its people depend upon your
notion. The. different State and bureau officers
and the boards having charge of our public inSti-
tUtons Will all submit TO you for your information
and consideration, their biennial papers. 1 trust
y1on VIII examine these reports carefully, to the
'FeI1fa That yes may act upon the suggestions or
observation-disclosures Jney enlDOUy Win QeiiDerH-
zion ana justice 1t is natural that each officer
Charged with the performance of specific duties,
;Dnd each board appointed to manage public
crlssft, should believe that the interests and
lcsHasp 81 his or its department are most i'm
Z. .a.lt and pressing Consider carefully ell the
recommendations thus made, but bear in mind
at the same time the interests aad needs OF the
people The year Just closed has not been, IL
many respects, a prosperous season. The crops
have been short, epidemicS have brought heavy
cfD alr,. tha nf NJ,
ais and stock have ruled low, and many of our
citizcus feeling the stress of tbs 1~idespread
industrial depression. Economy HI all appropri-
atoms made for the ensuing biennial period, is,
therefore, alike desirable and necessary. No
good citizen will Complain concerning a'pubhc
shown to be essential; all have
ligtt To complain if. during such period as the
present, unnecessary expenditures are author
AZed. 9
NEW COUNTIES.
Fifteen new counties have been organized
drrng the past two years, viz: Comanche, Fob
Tuary %, Clark. May, s. Thomas October 8. and
Meade, November 4, 1885; and Hamilton. Janu-
.ary -, Kiowa, March 23, Cheyenne, April l,
Lane June 3, Seward, June IL, Scott, June
20, Stevens, August 3, Cove, September 2, Sher-
man. September 20 Morton, November 49, and
Wichita, December "a, 1886:
Should the Legislature, by changes in county
lines, create additional counties, 1 earnestly
recommend that the law governing their organ
fzation be made more specific in its directions.
IL is, in its present form, confusing and made
quate-
rrhe Governor refers to the exciting contests
that follow the organization of new counties, the
difficulty the Executive has to meet in locating
county seats ard determining the legal voters,
and suggests that he be authorized to appoint
some citizen of the State not q resident OF the
county as census taker.]
STATE FINANCES.
The reports of the Auditor and Treasurer fur
nish n detailed and satisfactory exhibit of the
financial transactions Of the State for the last
biennial period. During the two years covered
by these reports the receipts OF the treasury
tincluding balance of ST5f,5l2.0I on hand July
l. 1891. aggregated S5,54T. 57.S3, and the dis
bursements for the same period were S4,962,-
S9i Ii leaving Il balance in the treasury June 80,
1sSSi. OF SjSla7S.16.
The total bonded debt of the State or the 1st
OF January, 1881. WAS $S50,51O, showing reduc-
1ion since January 1, 1885, of $4,000. OF the
debt outstanding only Se56,0o0 of bonds remain
In the hands OF individuals aid corporations,
<55s.jJ0 being held by different State funds. The
1ler1nanent school fund holds S0o3,50O; the sink
ing fund, $4,000. and the University fund,
$4,000.
The bonds and securities in the Treasury or
the 8Ist day OF December, 1886, aggregated 81,
Ges.oi6.6s, rs follows: Permanent school fund
3crlds 81 OOf .05; sinking fund bonds, $4,000;
university fund bonds. Slo6, 46S; normal school
fund bonds, 81 ,40T; Agricultural College endow-
xaent fund bonds, slSS O66.69; Agricultural Col
1ege notes and contracts, SsS,TT.S.
From July to December 81, 1886, the receipts
OF the State Treasury were as follows: From
taxes. Si540s4C7; from peniteatiary earnings,
ISL cog a: from insane asylums, S521 from State
librarian. sales OF Supreme Court Reports,
$i.s445O; from the Insurance Department, S10,
Js49s: from sales OF school lands. principal,
e,s seq So; from sales of school lands, interest,
81 10 ac5 Al: frons sales OF University lands,
principal S5,a53.T6, and interest Sl,995.9 !;
rom sales OF Normal School lands, principal
IS Sc 10 ana interest, SS,a94.65; from sales of
Agricultural College lands, principal, s<S,Ssl54.
and interest 1866; frcn principal OF county,
7oxnship and school district bones 80 .2ss11,
zni from interest same, Sl2i 25s IL; froi gale
of State bonds. 50 lO5; and from miscellaneous
sources sia5-making a3total OF l.ss4,5T794.
which. added TO the balance on hand June 10,
-1ssi makes a total of 81 so, S51. 10.
~. disbursements during the same six